The federal spending power refers the alleged power of Parliament to make payments to people, institutions or governments for purposes on which it does not necessarily have power to legislate. This publication examines the case for and against the federal spending power, evaluating its legality in the context of Canada's founding debates, constitutional text, and binding judicial precedents.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District (recently renamed Metro Vancouver) published its Livable Region Strategic Plan in 1996 with the goal of maintaining the livability of the Vancouver metropolitan area. A decade later, it is clear that the plan contains serious flaws that are actually making the region less livable each year.

This Alert examines whether LSVCCs have successfully expanded the amount of venture capital and the number of investments in Canadian entrepreneurial companies.It begins by describing LSVCCs and the cost of the LSVCC program to Canadian taxpayers.